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Up to 15,000 passengers could be affected by disruptions on Air New Zealand flights if cabin crew go ahead with a planned strike ahead of Christmas.

The industrial action, slated for December 8, is being held as the airline’s largely unionised crew demand greater salaries and allowances.

Appearing on Herald NOW this morning, Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said the airline is looking at cancelling flights and rebooking passengers but will work to keep disruptions to a minimum.

“We’re doing everything we can to avoid strike action. We’re meeting again with the unions this week. And I think our objectives are aligned,” he told host Ryan Bridge.

With a strike notice now in place, Ravishankar said the airline was assessing how many people would be impacted and what the effect on operations could be if the strike went ahead.

“I think the number will be somewhere between 10-15,000 customers, possibly. So it’s significant.”

Air New Zealand chief Nikhil Ravishankar says talks with unions will resume this week. Photo / Mike Scott

“This next round of conversations are going to be critical. And as we get the finer details locked down, and if we do end up going down that path, the first people we’ll notify are the customers.”

An Air NZ crew member’s base pay sits between $58,000 and $85,000, but “salaries aren’t just about the base pay”, Ravishankar said.

“It’s a job that is quite unique ... so there is a lot of non-base allowances that make up the pay as well.”

Union members’ demands totalled “in the millions”, and as air travel became increasingly expensive, ensuring the airline survived the economic cycle while keeping prices affordable “is high on the agenda”.

“Equally high on the agenda is making sure that we look after our cabin crew,” he said.

On Friday, Air NZ cabin crew from two unions said they would strike next month on the proposed date over pay and conditions.

The Flight Attendants’ Association of New Zealand (FAANZ), representing 1000 Air NZ flight attendants, and about 1250 of the airline’s cabin crew members represented by E tū, altogether represent about 80% of the airline’s total crew.

Air NZ confirmed it had received the formal strike notices, which will see action take place at various times on December 8 affecting regional, domestic and international flights.

Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.